U.S. patent application number 13/459600 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-15 for bending test apparatus for flexible device.
This patent application is currently assigned to ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE. Invention is credited to Gi Heon KIM.
Application Number | 20120285257 13/459600 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47140935 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120285257 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Gi Heon |
November 15, 2012 |
BENDING TEST APPARATUS FOR FLEXIBLE DEVICE
Abstract
Provided is a bending test apparatus for flexible substrate
which may increase or maximize reliability. The bending test
apparatus includes a table, a first electrode part fixing one side
of a flexible substrate on the table, a guide rail disposed
adjacent to the first electrode part, the guide rail extending from
the one side of the flexible substrate to the other side, a slider
moved along the guide rail, and a second electrode part connected
to the slider, the second electrode part approaching or spacing the
other side of the flexible substrate to/from the first electrode
part.
Inventors: |
KIM; Gi Heon; (Yuseong-gu,
KR) |
Assignee: |
ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Daejeon
KR
|
Family ID: |
47140935 |
Appl. No.: |
13/459600 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
73/849 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 3/20 20130101; G01M
5/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
73/849 |
International
Class: |
G01N 3/20 20060101
G01N003/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2011 |
KR |
10-2011-0045251 |
Claims
1. A bending test apparatus comprising: a table; a first electrode
part fixing one side of a flexible substrate on the table; a guide
rail disposed adjacent to the first electrode part, the guide rail
extending from the one side of the flexible substrate to the other
side; a slider moved along the guide rail; and a second electrode
part connected to the slider, the second electrode part approaching
or spacing the other side of the flexible substrate to/from the
first electrode part.
2. The bending test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and
second electrode parts are clamps having grooves in which the one
side and the other side of the flexible substrate are inserted,
respectively.
3. The bending test apparatus of claim 2, wherein the clamps
comprise a lower electrode bar and an upper electrode bar which are
respectively engaged with upper and lower portions of the flexible
substrate.
4. The bending test apparatus of claim 3, wherein the clamps
further comprise guide pins for adjusting sizes of the grooves
between the lower electrode bar and the upper electrode bar.
5. The bending test apparatus of claim 4, wherein the clamps
further comprise springs through which the guide pins pass between
the lower electrode bar and the upper electrode bar, the springs
spacing the lower clamp from the upper electrode bar.
6. The bending test apparatus of claim 3, wherein the clamps
further comprise electrode shafts coupled to both sides of the
lower electrode bar.
7. The bending test apparatus of claim 6, further comprising first
elbows fixing the first electrode part on the table to support the
electrode shafts of the first electrode part.
8. The bending test apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a
movement shaft connected between the slider and the second
electrode part, the movement shaft extending in a direction
parallel to that of the first electrode part; and second elbows
supporting the electrode shafts of the second electrode part on the
movement shaft.
9. The bending test apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a
driving part moving the slider; and a control part outputting a
control signal for controlling the driving, the control part
performing an electrical performance test by bending or unfolding
the flexible substrate between the first electrode part and the
second electrode part.
10. The bending test apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
housing covering an upper side of the table.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of Korean Patent Application No.
10-2011-0045251, filed on May 13, 2011, the entire contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The embodiment of the inventive concept disclosed herein
relates to a test apparatus, and more particularly, to a bending
test apparatus for flexible device.
[0003] Since a display device manufactured on a glass substrate is
not bent, the reliability with respect to an electrical stress is
mainly assessed. However, since a flexible device such as a display
device manufactured on a flexible substrate is bent, a mechanical
stress in addition to the electrical stress may be applied. Thus,
it is needed to measure the reliability of a thin film deposited on
the substrate or the flexible device with respect to the mechanical
stress.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The embodiment of the inventive concept provides a bending
test apparatus for flexible substrate which may increase or
maximize reliability.
[0005] Embodiments of the inventive concept provide bending test
apparatuses including: a table; a first electrode part fixing one
side of a flexible substrate on the table; a guide rail disposed
adjacent to the first electrode part, the guide rail extending from
the one side of the flexible substrate to the other side; a slider
moved along the guide rail; and a second electrode part connected
to the slider, the second electrode part approaching or spacing the
other side of the flexible substrate to/from the first electrode
part.
[0006] In some embodiments, the first and second electrode parts
may be clamps having grooves in which the one side and the other
side of the flexible substrate are inserted, respectively. The
clamps may include a lower electrode bar and an upper electrode bar
which are respectively engaged with upper and lower portions of the
flexible substrate. The clamps may further include guide pins for
adjusting sizes of the grooves between the lower electrode bar and
the upper electrode bar. The clamps may further include springs
through which the guide pins pass between the lower electrode bar
and the upper electrode bar, the springs spacing the lower clamp
from the upper electrode bar. The clamps may further include
electrode shafts coupled to both sides of the lower electrode bar.
The bending test apparatuses may further include first elbows
fixing the first electrode part on the table to support the
electrode shafts of the first electrode part. The bending test
apparatus may further include: a movement shaft connected between
the slider and the second electrode part, the movement shaft
extending in a direction parallel to that of the first electrode
part; and second elbows supporting the electrode shafts of the
second electrode part on the movement shaft.
[0007] In other embodiments, the bending test apparatuses may
further include: a driving part moving the slider; and a control
part outputting a control signal for controlling the driving, the
control part performing an electrical performance test by bending
or unfolding the flexible substrate between the first electrode
part and the second electrode part.
[0008] In still other embodiments, the bending test apparatuses may
further include a housing covering an upper side of the table.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate
exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with
the description, serve to explain principles of the present
invention. In the drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bending test apparatus for
flexible substrate according to an embodiment of the inventive
concept;
[0011] FIGS. 2 and 3 are plan and side views illustrating the
bending test apparatus for flexible substrate of FIG. 1,
respectively;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of first and second electrode
parts;
[0013] FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional and longitudinal section
views of the first electrode part, respectively; and
[0014] FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional and longitudinal section
views of a second electrode part, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Preferred embodiments of the inventive concept will be
described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention, and
implementation methods thereof will be clarified through following
embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms
and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth
herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the
scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Like
reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
[0016] In the following description, the technical terms are used
only for explaining a specific exemplary embodiment while not
limiting the inventive concept. The terms of a singular form may
include plural forms unless specifically mentioned. The meaning of
`comprises` and/or `comprising` specifies an element, a process, an
operation and/or a device but does not exclude other elements,
processes, operations and/or devices. Since preferred embodiments
are provided below, the order of the reference numerals given in
the description is not limited thereto. In the specification, it
will be understood that when a layer (or film) is referred to as
being `on` another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the
other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may also be
present.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bending test apparatus for
flexible substrate according to an embodiment of the inventive
concept. FIGS. 2 and 3 are plan and side views illustrating the
bending test apparatus for flexible substrate of FIG. 1,
respectively.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a test apparatus according to the
embodiment of the inventive concept may include a first electrode
part 30 fixed to one side 22 of a flexible substrate 20 above a
table 10 and a second electrode part 60 moving the other side 24 of
the flexible substrate 20 fixed to the first electrode part 30. The
first electrode part 30 may be fixed to first elbows 12 coupled to
the table 10. The second electrode part 60 may be horizontally
moved by a slider 74 and a movement shaft 70. The flexible
substrate 20 may be bent by approaching the first and second
electrode parts 30 and 60. The first and second electrode parts 30
and 60 may be electrically connected to the flexible substrate 20.
A control part 80 may outputs a control signal for controlling a
driving part 50 to test electrical performance due to the bending
of the flexible substrate 20. The flexible substrate 20 may be
quantitatively bent or unfolded according to the movement of the
second electrode part 60.
[0019] Thus, the bending test apparatus for flexible substrate 20
according to an embodiment of the inventive concept may improve or
maximize test reliability.
[0020] The table 10 may include a control region 14 and a test
region for flexible substrate 20 which are separated by a partition
92 of a housing 90. The housing 90 may surround an upper side of
the table 10. The housing 90 may include a first housing 94
covering the control region 14, a second housing 96 covering the
test region 16, and the partition 92 between the second housing 96
and the first housing 94. The first and second housings 94 and 96
may be independently opened or closed. The second housing 96 may be
fluidly opened when the flexible substrate 20 is loaded/unloaded.
The partition 92 may include an opening 93 through which the
movement shaft 70 passes between the second electrode part 60 and a
guide rail 40. The opening 93 may be defined in the same direction
as that of the guide rail 40.
[0021] The guide rail 40, the slider 74, the driving part 50, and
the control part 80 may be disposed in the control region 14. The
guide rail 40 may extend from the one side 22 of the flexible
substrate 20 to the other side 24. The guide rail 40 may be
disposed adjacent to the first electrode part 30 on the table 10.
The guide rail 40 may extend from the one side 22 of the flexible
substrate 20 to the other side 24. The slider 74 may be moved along
the guide rail 40. The driving part 50 may generate power for
moving the slider 74. Although not shown, the driving part 50 may
include a step motor for generating rotation power according to the
control signal of the control part 80 and a bevel gear and/or crank
for linearly moving the slider 74 along the guide rail 40 by the
rotation power of the step motor. The control part 80 may be
electrically connected to the first and second electrode parts 30
and 60 by first and second cables (not shown).
[0022] The first and second electrode parts 30 and 60 may be
disposed in the test region 16. The first electrode part 30 may be
fixed to the table 10. The first elbows 12 may be fixed to the
table 10. The first elbows 12 may fix the first electrode part 30
to the table 10. The second electrode part 60 may be fixed to the
movement shaft 70 by second elbows 72. The movement shaft 70 may be
coupled to the slider 74 disposed in the control region 14. The
movement shaft 70 may pass through the opening 93 of the partition
92 to extend in a direction parallel to that of the first electrode
part 30. The second electrode part 60 may be fixed to the movement
shaft 70. The second elbows 72 may support the second electrode
part 60 on the movement shaft 70. The second electrode part 60 may
be moved by the movement shaft 70 and the slider 74.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the first and second electrode
parts. FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional and longitudinal section
views of the first electrode part, respectively. FIGS. 7 and 8 are
cross-sectional and longitudinal section views of a second
electrode part, respectively.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the first electrode part 30 may
be a first clamp having a first groove 31 in which the one side 22
of the flexible substrate 20 is inserted. The first electrode part
30 may include a first lower electrode bar 36 and a first upper
electrode bar 34. The first lower electrode bar 36 and the first
upper electrode bar 34 may be engaged to fix the one side 22 of the
flexible substrate 20. The first lower electrode bar 36 may be
connected between first electrode shafts 32. The first electrode
shafts 32 may be supported by the first elbows 12. The first
electrode shafts 32 may be fixed to both sides of the first lower
electrode bar 36 by first caps 39 and second bolts 17. When a
distance between the first and second electrode parts 30 and 60 is
changed, the first electrode shafts 32 may be rotated on the first
elbows 12 by bending and/or unfolding the flexible substrate 20. A
first bearing 13 may help the rotation of the first electrode shaft
32. The first bearing 13 may reduce friction between the first
electrode shaft 32 and the first elbows 12. The first elbows 12 may
be fixed to the table 10 by first bolts 15. A first terminal holder
38 may be coupled to an end of the first electrode shaft 32
adjacent to the partition 92. The first electrode shafts 32 may be
formed of a conductive metal having a low resistance. A first cable
(not shown) may be connected from the first terminal holder 38 to
the control part 80. The first upper electrode bar 34 may be
coupled and engaged on the first lower electrode bar 36. The first
upper electrode bar 34 may be coupled to the first lower electrode
bar 36 by third bolts 18. A first groove 31 may correspond to a gap
between the first upper electrode bar 34 and the first lower
electrode bar 36. Here, the flexible substrate 20 may be introduced
through the gap. The first groove 31 may have a size of about 1 mm
to about 3 mm. First guide pins 37 may adjust the size of the first
groove 31. The first guide pins 37 may be inserted into nut holds
(not shown) of the first upper and lower electrode bars 34 and 36.
The first guide pins 37 may adjust the gap between the first upper
and lower electrode bars 34 and 36. The first springs 35 may space
the first lower and upper electrode bars 36 and 34 from each other.
The first guide pins 37 may pass through the insides of the first
springs 35, respectively. The first guide pins 37 may fix the one
side 22 of the flexible substrate 20 introduced into the first
upper and lower electrode bars 34 and 36 through the first groove
31. Each of the first upper and lower electrode bars 34 and 36 may
be formed of at least one of copper, aluminum, and/or a combination
thereof. The first upper and lower electrode bars 34 and 36 may
electrically contact the conductive material of the flexible
substrate 20.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, the second electrode part 60 may
fix the other side 24 of the flexible substrate 20. The second
electrode part 60 may be electrically connected to the other side
24 of the flexible substrate 20. The second electrode part 60 may
have a structure similar to that of the first electrode part 30 and
thus be disposed symmetric to the first electrode part 30. The
second electrode part 60 may be a second clamp having a second
groove 61 in which the other side 24 of the flexible substrate 20
is inserted. The second electrode part 60 may include second
electrode shafts 62 supported by the second elbows 72 of the
movement shaft 70, a second lower electrode bar 66 connected
between the second electrode shafts 62, and a second upper
electrode bar 64 coupled to the second lower electrode bar 66 to
fix the other side 24 of the flexible substrate 20. The second
electrode shafts 62 may be fixed to both sides of the second lower
electrode bar 66 by second caps 69 and the second bolts 17. The
second electrode shafts 62 may be rotated by bending and/or
unfolding the flexible substrate 20. Second bearings 73 may reduce
friction between the second electrode shafts 62 and the second
elbows 72. A second terminal holder 68 may be coupled to an end of
the second electrode shaft 62 adjacent to the partition 92. The
second electrode shafts 62 may be formed of a conductive metal
having a low resistance. A second cable (not shown) may be
connected from the second terminal holder 68 to the control part
80. The second upper electrode bar 64 may be engaged and coupled on
the second lower electrode bar 66 by the third bolts 18. The other
side 24 of the flexible substrate 20 may be introduced into a
second groove 61. Second guide pins 67 may adjust a size of the
second groove 61. A second spring 65 may space the second lower and
upper electrode bars 66 and 64 from each other. The second guide
pins 67 may pass through the second spring 65. Second guide pins 77
may be inserted into nut holds of the second upper and lower
electrode bars 64 and 66. The second guide pins 67 may fix the
other side 24 of the flexible substrate 20 introduced into the
second upper and lower electrode bars 64 and 66 through the second
groove 61. Each of the second upper electrode bar 64 and the second
lower electrode bar 66 may be formed of at least one of copper,
aluminum, and/or a combination thereof. The second electrode part
60 may approach or away from the first electrode part 30 according
to the control signal of the control part 80. The flexible
substrate 20 may be quantitatively bent or unfolded according to
the movement of the second electrode part 60.
[0026] Thus, the bending test apparatus for flexible substrate 20
according to an embodiment of the inventive concept may improve or
maximize test reliability of the flexible substrate 20.
[0027] As described above, according to the embodiment of the
inventive concept, the first and second electrode parts may be
fixed to the one side and the other side of the flexible substrate
having various sizes, respectively. The first electrode part may be
fixed to the first elbows on the table. The second electrode part
may be connected to the slider moved along the guide rail. The
slider may be moved along the guide rail by the power of the
driving part. The flexible substrate may be quantitatively bent
and/or unfolded according to the movement of the second electrode
part. Thus, the bending test apparatus for flexible substrate
according to the embodiment of the inventive concept may improve or
maximize the test reliability.
[0028] The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered
illustrative and not restrictive, and the appended claims are
intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other
embodiments, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the
inventive concept. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the
scope of the inventive concept is to be determined by the broadest
permissible interpretation of the following claims and their
equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the
foregoing detailed description.
* * * * *